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Rance Crain Named to Advertising Hall of Fame

Ad Age Editor-in-Chief to Be Inducted April 29, 2013

The American Advertising Federation has selected its 2013 Advertising Hall of Fame inductees, and among them is Rance Crain, president of Crain Communications and editor-in-chief of Advertising Age.
Rance Crain

Mr. Crain joins an elite group dubbed the "magnificent seven" by the judges' council that will be inducted in a ceremony April 29, 2013 in New York. His fellow inductees include Shelly Lazarus, chairman emeritus, Ogilvy & Mather; Philip H. Knight , co-founder and chairman-Nike ; Bob Giraldi, film director and president-Giraldi Media; Byron E. Lewis, founder and chairman emeritus of UniWorld Group; Gerry Rubin, co-chairman of RPA; and Bob Scarpelli, former chairman and chief creative officer of DDB Worldwide.

Mr. Crain has been a tireless advocate for the advertising industry for nearly 50 years, beginning with his days as a cub reporter at Advertising Age's Washington bureau, where he was named senior editor in 1965. In 1967 he was appointed first editor of Business Insurance, another Crain publication, and he moved up to become editorial director of Crain Communications in 1971. He added president to his title in 1973.

Throughout his career at Ad Age , he has been a staunch advocate of advertising self-regulation and a strong voice for advertising ethics, a stance he often espouses in his biweekly column for Ad Age . In addition, he is editor-in-chief of sibling publications Crain's Chicago Business, Crain's New York Business, and TVWeek.com.

With this honor, Mr. Crain becomes the third member of his immediate family and the fourth member of the Ad Age "family" to find a berth in the Hall of Fame . His father, G.D. Crain, founder of Crain Communications, was inducted in 1975, two years after his death; his mother, Gertrude Crain , was inducted in 1997, a year after her death. The late Sidney R. Bernstein, former editor, editorial director and publisher of Ad Age , whose career spanned 1939 to 1978, was also inducted in 1988. During Mr. Bernstein's tenure, Ad Age became known as the "bible of the industry."

"Rance Crain has Advertising Age in his DNA. The Crain name is legendary, not to mention synonymous with advertising. It is fitting that he is now joining his parents in the Advertising Hall of Fame ," said Laurence Boschetto, president-CEO of DraftFCB and chairman of the Advertising Hall of Fame . "For more than a half century, Rance has passionately advocated for the industry, recognizing the might of Madison Avenue to collectively self-regulate and make smart choices. An ardent supporter of organizations that matter to our business, like The Ad Council and the AAF, Rance has also led his company's giving efforts, supporting organizations like the United Way, local Chicago theaters and food banks."

In addition to these seven, an organization is being inducted as well: McDonald's. This is the fourth year AAF is honoring a corporate nominee and the award for McDonald's will be accepted by Don Thompson, president-CEO.
AAF President-CEO James Edmund Datri said McDonald's is being cited for its "extraordinary impact on the industry, unwavering commitment to community service, and universally recognized global strategy that has made it an American and global icon."

The 64th Advertising Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies & Gala Dinner will be held Monday, April 29, 2013, at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York.